Camarra Pizzeria & Restaurant *thumbs-up*
Well on the heels of my mid-range Italian thread I decided to go for Camarra's, a late entry in the running; other suggestions included Fusilli and Gio's. The reason I eventually decided on Camarra's was out of pure curiosity I guess. I was also impressed with the photos on their website.
First off, for a Friday, I think reservations ARE recommended, even on a cold-*** night like last night. Sometimes I wing it but I had a hunch that I might need one, and in fact I was happy I'd made one, as the place was packed and I never would have gotten a table otherwise. Summer time, I can only imagine how busy it gets. We were greeted by the owner I presume, a really pleasant gentleman, who took our coats and seated us promptly.
First thing I noticed, the ROLLS are delicious! You get a bread basket but included are two fresh, hot, basil-infused garlic rolls which were probably the best pre-meal bread offering I have had in ages, hands down. I could have eaten an entire basket of those, my date and I both commented on them. Really nice stuff.
The waiter was pleasant and helpful. All the staff seemed really engaged with their customers actually. I just had a beer, but the glass came chilled, a nice touch. For entrees we shared two small pizzas, a thin-crust Magra and a regular Genovese, and I also had the Veal. Everything arrived hot, fresh and in a timely manner. The real parmasean cheese on the veal was a nice touch, really added to the meat. The meat was tender and about as flavourful as veal gets. The veggies were crisp and tasty, nothing was withered or over-cooked. Some places treat vegetables as nothing more than an afterthought or a plate-dressing; I like to actually eat mine so I was happy someone took their time with them.
The pizza - worth the trip!! That's all I'll say. Everyone go find out for themselves! Delicious, especially with an extra drizzle of the olive oil which sits at every table. I would honestly consider going back just to grab a take-out pizza and some of those delicious dinner rolls on the side, and I'm pretty lazy when it comes to distances and take-out food so that's saying something.
The environment was cozy and warm, a suitable environment for dates, casual dinners, parties, etc.
So overall, I give Camarra's, price considered, a very solid 9/10. Worth the trip. With a decent tip we walked away with full bellies and a pleasant experience for $80. Not a bargain but nowhere near the 'paid too much' mark. We both agreed we'd be going back!
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Googs
Dec 15, 2007 02:10 PM
I am so, soooo jealous. When we were in our teens and twenties, my friends and I used to make the trek all the way from Scarborough to Camarra's just for the pizza. I guess it's time to bring back that old habit. I want to thank all the Hounds that made sure we know Camarra still has it's groove.
http://www.camarra.com/home.html -
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